ABSTRACT
Objective:To detect the changes of tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α) in nasopharyngeal secretion of patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma(NPC).Method: The content of TNF-α in nasopharyngeal secretion was determined by radioimmunoassay (RIA) in 20 controls,52 patients with NPC.Result:The average concentrations of TNF-α were (12.95±4.62)pmol/L in control group,(33.68±15.13) pmol/L in NPC group and (64.00±11.57)pmol/L in NPC with necrosis group. The content of TNF-α in nasopharyngeal secretion in control group was lower significantly than that of patients with NPC (P<0.01).Conclusion:The level of TNF-α in nasopharyngeal secretion of NPC patients was higher than that of normal subjects. To detect the content of TNF-α in nasopharyngeal secretion is a useful test for the study and diagnosis of NPC.